Standard-Freeholder year in review: June 2018

Skylar Mason of CCVS keeps the ball away from Curtis St. Onge of Char-Lan, during an SD&G high school lacrosse game in Williamstown on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The Raiders won a tight game, 10-9.Kevin Gould/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network

It was a landslide victory for Jim McDonell, the MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, in the provincial election which saw Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives win a majority.

McDonell was re-elected with 61 per cent of the popular vote, and when he sat down with the Standard-Freeholder to talk about the big night, the former engineer was understandably thrilled with the result.

“I’m relieved,” McDonell said. “We were worried about the province as a whole, and I think the majority will allow us to make the changes that need to be made. I think it will be about managing change so we can direct money to health care and education, where people’s priorities are.”

With the popular vote numbers indicating most people in the riding who did not vote Liberal ended up voting for the incumbent, McDonell was asked why he thought that was the case.

“When I was out talking to people, they were really worried about the debt, that was their biggest concern. I think they were worried about some of the NDP promises, which I suppose you could say were radical. Like the one to close down the Pickering nuclear power plant. I mean, what purpose does that serve?”

Jazmyn Alexander, 14, was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness at the religious group’s annual conference in Cornwall on Saturday, June 16, 2018.Alan S. Hale/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network

At the month’s midway point, the CUPE strike that kept much of the City of Cornwall at a standstill for four weeks finally ended.

A tentative agreement was ratified, clearing the way for municipal workers, paramedics and library staff to return to work.

“We have reached agreements with all four locals, all contracts have been ratified,” Cornwall mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy said. “It’s good news for Cornwall, we welcome our workers back. . . sometimes negotiations are tough, but we worked our way through it.”

A young rider gets ready for a turn, at the Cornwall BMX Club, which had its grand opening ceremonies and an Olympic Day race event. Photo on Monday, June 25, 2018, in Cornwall, Ont.Todd Hambleton/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network

With the arrival of warm June weather came the arrival of some important community fundraisers, including the annual ALS walk, organized for the past six years by Melissa Ferguson and Melanie Brisson.

It’s an event that has grown each year, and the number of volunteers also increased in 2018.

“There is more awareness, which is great,” Ferguson said at the five-kilometre walk, with the start line at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall.

Also in June, a Cornwall judge found Jonathan Michaud not criminally responsible for the death of his mother, Jacqueline Martin.

After three days of evidence and testimony from two forensic psychiatrists, Justice Rick Leroy concluded Michaud should be in treatment, not serving a prison sentence for second-degree murder.

The judge said it was clear Michaud was being compelled to stab his mother by the voices in his head caused by years of untreated schizophrenia, robbing him of the ability to think rationally or realize what he was doing was wrong.

Michaud was to be committed to Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s custody.

In sports, the Cornwall Motor Speedway dealt with some rain early in the season, but for the most part, 2018 was dry and successful for the track.

But for one show, a previous rainout made for a very busy night in June at the oval, seven features in all.

It all worked out to less than $2 per feature, for anyone paying the adult admission charge.

“It’s real cheap to get in, it’s probably the best deal of the year,” said speedway owner/promoter Raymond Lavergne.